County library passed on to new district board

ADRIAN — Control of the Lenawee County Library was handed off Tuesday to a new seven-member board, launching the Lenawee District Library.

A final meeting of the old five-member county board was called to order at the library headquarters on West Maumee Street to wrap up the transition to an independent district library. The state approved the change on Nov. 14.

District board members sat at the table with the outgoing board. Their first meeting was set for 5 p.m. Jan. 15.

Patrons will see no immediate changes other than replacing “county” with “district” in the library name. All county residents will continue to have free access to the library system at least until a millage is approved and the tax billed within district boundaries.

The move is intended to bolster the library’s finances after four years of budget cuts due to eroding revenue from county and state sources.

The budget has been cut 6 percent every year since 2008, said library director Teresa Nuber. Full-time staff has been cut from eight people to four. Materials and hours of operation have also been reduced. The county bookmobile now runs two and a half days a week instead of five.

“I don’t know if we can continue cutting and cutting and cutting, which is the reason we asked for a district library and a millage,” Nuber said.

An election is to be set in the next year to establish a millage of at least 0.5 mill to support the library and its branches in Addison, Britton, Clayton, Deerfield and Onsted.

The election, and the tax levy, are to be within the district library boundaries which exclude the city of Adrian, the Tecumseh District Library and areas served by local libraries in Blissfield, Morenci, Hudson and Clinton. If a millage is not passed by Dec. 31, 2014, the library is to revert to a county system.

“You have a great director and a great staff. I’m sad to leave,” said outgoing board member and county commissioner David Stimpson of Tecumseh. Nuber and her staff made difficult changes to maintain public services, he said.

Creating a district system is an opportunity to secure the library’s finances and to make it grow, he said.

“You have an opportunity to build something for the next 100 years and more,” Stimpson said. “I look forward to seeing what you guys do.”

“I would like the new folks and the old folks to know my service has been fun, but we’ve accomplished a lot,” said Audrey Parker of Palmyra Township, one of two county board members joining the new district board. Catrina Ossmann of Adrian Township is also transferring.

“I’ve appreciated it tremendously, serving with all the wonderful people on the board and the library staff,” said outgoing board chairman Michael Clement, a 17-year member.

Also leaving the board is Marcia Lengnick of Adrian.

The five new members on the district board are Sally Schanck of Clayton, Marilyn Kremer of Woodstock Township, Hattie Brodbeck of Rollin Township, Marty Hubbard of Cambridge Township and Marjorie Keller of Fairfield Township.

“Whatever you guys need, we’re here to support you,” said Ray Lennard, president of the friends of the library volunteer group. A February meeting is planned to explain changes in the library to members so they can be available to help inform the public, he said.

Nuber suggested open houses in the branch libraries to meet with the public and explain the district system and upcoming millage vote.